Improvement in harvesters



PATENT FFICEc WILLIAM N. WHITELEY, or SPRINGFIELD, oHIo.

s IMPROVEMENT IIN HARVESTERS.

` Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 105,395, dated July12, 1870.

To all whom it may concern: l Be it known` that I, WILLIAM N. WHIT- LEY,of Springfield, in the county of Clarke and State of Ohio, .haveinvented a new and Y 4useful Improvement in Harvesters; and I do herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, kreference being'had to the accompanying drawing, in

whichr l i "Figure 1 is a perspective view of my machine. Fig. 2 is aplan ofthe same. Fig. 3 is side elevation of the same.. Fig. 4 is aperspective, showing action of gather-board. Fig. `5` is an eleyation ofwheels and axle.Y Fig. 6 is a rear elevation of my machine. Fig. 7 is anouter side elevation of lthe same.. Fig. 8 is a rear elevation ot'secondary platform. Fig. 9 isa perspective, showing actionl of ,rake.Fig. 10 is an inner side elevatiouof `my machine;` Fig. 11, elevation ofdriving mechanismfor rake and cutters; Fig. 12, plan of the same; Fig.13,. longitudinal section of reelpost` and bearingyFig. 14, sectionshowing construction of clutch; Fig. l5, latch ot'tongue-` lever; Fig.16, perspective view of my machine arranged as a mower.` .l

This invention yrelates to that class 'of har- 'vesters known ascombinedmachines]7 which may be employed to reap grain, or may bearranged, by dctaching certain ot' its-parts, to -mow grass; and itconsistsmore particularly in the arrangements whereby the same machineis enabled to cut grass, to cut grain-and deliver it at the rear ofthemachine upon the ground, to deliver it at the side of the machine -in'agavel upon the-ground, or to deliver it :upon a table, where it may bebound in sheaves `byfattendants riding upon the machine, and 'peculiararrangements of, devices for operat- 1 ing the rakes, theV clutches, andthe construc- #tion of the machine. That othersmay understand more fullymy invention, in its construction and opera-tion, I `willzparticularlydescribe it.

The frame is supported upon the continuous On top of the iron axlepieces E F G' aresecured, to form the rear portion of the main frame ot'the machine. The string-pieces E F G are connected at their rear ends bythe cross-bar'H. The main platform'I and the cutting apparatus J aresupported by the curved string-pieces K L, which extend backward overthe axle A, and are bolted, securely to the tilnbers E G. The outerstring-piece L is bolted at its front end to the outer end ofthen-ger-barJ, and the ,'outer end of said bar is turned.-` upward, as at Nat an angle of ninety degrees, or thereabout, to form asupporting-standard for the divider M, which extends forward andbackward of the cutting apparatusin the usualunanner. The

-. The tongue-jointis further strengthened on the inner side by the lugor post R, which is Apreferably cast with the inner shoe P, and whichextends upward and forms a bearin g for the pivot-bolt of said joint. iThelever S is trmly bolted to the tongue Q alittle in advance of thetongue-joint, and extends thence backward, slightly inclined upward, soas to reach a position convenient to the hand of a person upon the seatT. By raising or depressingtherearend ofthe lever S, the ton gue-jointand cutting apparatus may be raised or depressed, as maybe desired.

A segment-rack or perforated latch-plate, U, is secured to the outerreel post V, in a po sition by the side of the lever S, and so that thespring-latch or 4detent W willA engage therewith to hold the lever S atthe desired point. y

The principal platform I is connected, at its front edge, with thefinger-bar J, as usual, and from thence it `curves backward and upwardto the top of the axle A, where it becomes horizontal, and ends aglittledistance in rear of said axle.

The operative mechanism and gearing of the machine are located at itsside, and attached to the side frame-piece F, (see Figs. 1l and 12.)rlhe prime motion is derived from the wheel C, to which is attached theinternal gear A', which meshes with a pinion7 B', upon a.countershat't,C'. rlhe counter-shaft U' is mounted in bearings on the bracket D',which is bolted to .the side frame F, as shown in Fig. 16. rlhebevel-driver E', also lnounted upon the shaft C', meshes with thebevel-pinion F', upon the cutter's crankshaft G', which extends forwardbelow the side fralne F, and is mounted in bearings in t-he brackets D'and H'.

The cutter's pitman-crank wheel I' is secured to the forward end of theshaft G'. The cutters are thrown out of gear by moving a slidingratchetsleeve, J', (which is fitted to the shaft G', and moves 011 afeather thereon,) so as to disengage it from the ratchet-teeth cut onthe end of the hub of the pinion F.

To control the clutch-sleeve J', a rod, K', (with its box-bearing lisecured rigidly to the bracket H',) is provided at one end with anordinary clutchfork, L', and at the other it is linked to the bellcranklever N. When the forward end of said lever N' is raised, then thecl'utclbsleeve J' is withdrawn, and the cutters are thrown out of gear,and when said lever is liberated, the spring' O', located within thesleeve-box M', immediately returns said clutch to its engagement withthe pinion F.

In order to control said clutch conveniently I have employed afoot-lever, P', which is pivoted to the bracket H', and is provided witha lug, which projects underneath the lever N', so that, when saidfoot-lever is pushed forward, said bell-crank is raised up, and thesleeve J' is withdrawn. rI'he positions of the two levers are then suchthat their lines of motion are perpendicular to each other, and theclutch will remain withdrawn until the footlever is pushed backwardagain to release it.

A convenient stop to limit the forward motion of the foot-lever isprovided by turning the forward end of thebell-crank lever -N outward atright angles, as shown at Q'. The driving-wheel C is provided with along cylindrical hub, It', on Vits inner side, and upon said hubtheclutch-sleeve S' is fitted. Said sleeve moves back and forth upon afeather on said hub, and is thrown forward into engagement with thechain-wheel T' by a spring, U', which is secured, by a screw, to thewheel C.

The chain-wheel T' drives the reel and rake direct from themaster-wheel, as will be more fully described hereinafter.

rlhe clutch S' is controlled by means of a rod, V', which moves in asleeve-box, W', and bears, at its outer end, an ordinary clutchfork..The inner end of the rod V' is beveled and opposed to the wedge a, asshown in Fig. 14. When the wedge ais forced downward the clutch S isdisengaged, and the chainwheel is out of gear; but when said wedge iswithdrawn, the spring U' forces said clutch into engagementl again. TheWedge a is controlled by a hand-lever, b, located conveniently for thehand of the driver while u'pon his seat T.

rIhe driver's seat T is mounted upon legs c d bolted securely to theside frame F.

The reel is of that class known as open-head overhung reels, and itsshaft c has its bearings in a long sleeve-box, f, (see Fig. 13,) whichis bolted iirst to the reel-posts O V, the same being braced at the topby the crossbar h. At the outer end of said shaft is the chainwheel g,through which motion is transmitted to the reel. The reel-head i issecured to the reel-shaft by a screw or pin, and it is provided witharms to receive and hold the reel-arms j j. The shaft e extends to apoint opposite the center of the reel to support the rake 7c, whichrevolves with and acts as a part of the reel.

The rake 7c is .provided with arms l, which are jointed to thelower endof one of the reelarms j', and is supported in the desired position bythe rod m, crank n, and cam p. These parts operate as follows:

The cam p is a groove in acircular plate, p", secured to the reel-postO, and provided with a central orifice for the passage of the reelshaftc, upon which said plate 12"' is adjustable 'in the direction of thereels revolution. The

end of the crank a' dips into the cam-groove p, and controls theposition and motion of the rake.

rIhe cam-groove p is circular, except during about one-eighth of itscircumference, and, consequently, the position of the rake k in relationto the reel-blades is constant during the greater part of itsrevolution. As, however, the rake lo, in removing the gavel over thecurved portion of the platform I, reaches the 'extremity of the curvedportion of said platform, the pin a' comes in contact with an abruptshoulder or angle, q, by which it is pushed upward toward the center oraxis of revolution, and the crank n, rod m, arms l, and rake-head lo arecorrespondingly depressed or pushed away from said axis, and thisreceding motion, in connection with the forward motion of the rake, maybe so arranged as to resolve into a line having any desired direction.Thus, as the rake k pushes the grain forward up the curved platform I,the cam p will be so adjusted that the pin n' will reach the shoulder qat the moment when the raketeeth have reached the point where the plat-4form I becomes horizontal above the axle A, and thence the rake willproject in a line parallel with the platform I for a short distance, orfar enough to push the grain beyond said platform. These motions areclearly shown in Fig. 7. From the point of its greatest prolongation,the rake is returned to its position in the reel by an eccentric curveof the camgroove from the point q, until it re-enters'the regular curveabout the axis of revolution.

. The rod mis adjustable, both vertically andY laterally, upon the-arml, for the purposeof adjusting the position or extension of the rake LAHand said'adjustment may be secured by slots and bolts, lor.moreeconomically, holes, as

shown. The brace .r extends'from theend ofv the reel-shaft etothe armj', tostrcngthen and suppor'tfit'. Therakelhlead lc is provided i witha' high-shield, k, which is curved forward, as shown, and serves tocompress the gavels as it stpushed alongY 'the platform. The divider Mcurves inward behind the cutting apparatusl a little, far enough topermit the grain-wheel B to travel within the line of cut, and it also.has an effect to compress the gavel laterally. A similar divider, u,located on the inner edge'of the cutting apparatus,

prevents any grain being pushed off the inner side of the platform.: V

My machine, as thus far described, will be capable of reaping grain, anddelivering it in gavels at the rear of thereutters; or, by removing theplatform I and the reel, it may be `dropper,it might be advisable toattach an j ordinary slat-dropper at thejrearof the platformI, or aninclined apron, to conduct the grain to the ground.

I will now describe those devices which I attach to the abovedescribedmachine to cause it, first, to deliver *upon the ground at the side ofthe machine; and, second, to deliver to binders riding upon the machine.A

secondary platform, t, is laid upon the 'frametimbers E F G H, anduponthis platform the grain is received from the main platform I. A longarm, fv, is secured, at its front end, to the axle A, and projects to adistance in rear of the cross-frame H, to which it is likewise bolted.The arm fw is jointed to the rear end of thearm fu, as sh-ownin Fig. 1,and the lastnamed arm Areciprocates back and forth over the platform u,and projects slightlybeneath the rear edge of the` platform I, which iscurved, to correspond to the circular movement ofsaid arm w. Thegather-board a is attached to the arm w, and, `as the latter sweeps overthe platform, it removes whatever may be thereon toward and off the sideof said platform. vThe reciprocations of the arm w and gather-board aare produced by a slotted pit-man, b', and a crank, c', the shaft d ofwhich is driven from the. main wheel G `by means of th'e bevel-gears ef. (See Fig.

12.) The shafted has its bearings inV hangers g h', attached to thestringpiece F.

\ It is desirable that the motions of the gather-bo'ard a should beintermittent, so that it may be at rest while the gavel has beendeposited by the rake la; and to attain this end easily, I make a slot,i,'at the crank-end of th e pitman bl, and the crank-pin passes throughand plays in said slot., Aportion of each revolntion is therebyexhaustedin moving from one end' of said slot tothe other' withoutmoving the gather-board.

By proper adjustment of the length of slot i and position of the crankc' in reference to the motion of the reel-rake, the operation of therake and gather-board may b e made to alternate properly, and the gavelmay be swept from the `side of the platform to the stubble-in i themanner commonly known as side-delivery.

It will generally be preferred, however, to

attach a binder-s stand and table to the side of platform t, and havethe gavels bound before reaching the ground. To this end, therefore, Iattach the foot-board or stand l to the rear corner of the frame F H, bymeans of hangers, as shown, and immediately behind said stand I mountthe binders7 table m' upon arms p p. rIhe binders table m is in the formol' two crescents joined or overlapping, so that each binder, vas hestands in the hollow edge of his table, has a circular table upv onwhich to bind his sheaf, andno moreV than one-fourth or one-third of aturn will be required for either to collect his gavel from the platformand transfer it to his table. It will now be observed that the axle A isplaced at the point of juncture between the two platforms I and t, sothat the said axle notonly forms a bearing or fulcrum on lwhich themachine is balanced, but it becomes possible to mount the driving andgrain wheels upon a single continuous axle. becomes possible to employ,with -a side-cut machine, a grain-Wheel in diameter equal to thediameter of the driving-wheel, and capable of bearing its fullproportion of the Weight of 'the machine.

The driversseat is located far back toward the driving-Wheel, and theweight of the bind-l ers' upon the stand t is so disposed as to coun-Vterbalance the extraweight of the machinein` front of the axle A, andcause it to rest .very

lightly upon the necks of the horses.

forth.

2. The removable platforms I and t, ar-4 ranged, in reference to thecontinuous axle A', substantially as described.

3. A tonguejoint, formed .by the Vframepieces FK and' shoe-lug R,arranged as de-v scribed.

4. The reel j, rake k, and gatherboard a',

moved in conjunction vby means of a chainv wheel and bevel-gear Wheelupon asleeve, T,

substantially as described.

5. In combination with the clutch-rod k', the lever N and P',constructed and operating substantially as described.

It; also then 6. The rake-head k and arms l l, jointed to 7. Thecrank-shaft d',slotted pitman b', and the arm jf, combined and arrangedwith the vibrating gather-board a', arranged to operate rod m, cranks nn', and cam p, so that the substantially as described.

rake will be driven out beyond the circumference of the reel, todischarge the gavel WILLIAM N. WHITELEY. from the principal platform,and returned within the circumference of the reel, to act as Witnesses:

a reeling beater and rake, substantially as de- WILLIAM T. STILWELL,

scribed. GHAs. EVANS.

